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MOT statistics · 2023 tests

Volkswagen Passat MOT pass rate, common failures and mileage

In 2023, 75.0% of 207,331 MOT tests on the Volkswagen Passat ended in a pass, 1.5 points below the 76.5% average for all cars. Comparing like for like at ages 3 to 10, it passed 82.4% against 82.0%, ranking 74th of 148 models.

Pass rate
75.0%
All cars 76.5%
Tests
207,331
Initial MOTs in 2023
Ages 3 to 10
82.4%
All cars 82.0% · rank 74 of 148
Mileage at 10
119k
Median; middle half 91k to 151k

Pass rate and mileage by age

Each row covers the Volkswagen Passat MOT tests at that age. Mileage shows the median and the middle half of odometer readings, from the 25th to the 75th percentile.

AgePass rateMileage
24,878 tests
88.8%
35,000 · 23k to 49k
36,730 tests
87.9%
43,000 · 29k to 61k
49,613 tests
87.0%
55,000 · 39k to 77k
512,499 tests
86.8%
67,000 · 49k to 93k
614,550 tests
84.9%
79,000 · 59k to 109k
716,453 tests
83.3%
91,000 · 69k to 123k
815,309 tests
78.9%
99,000 · 75k to 131k
914,207 tests
75.2%
107,000 · 81k to 139k
1013,383 tests
73.6%
119,000 · 91k to 151k
1116,824 tests
71.0%
129,000 · 103k to 161k
1215,049 tests
70.2%
135,000 · 107k to 165k
1313,649 tests
67.8%
135,000 · 107k to 165k
1411,980 tests
67.9%
139,000 · 113k to 169k
1511,170 tests
65.8%
145,000 · 119k to 175k
168,942 tests
64.9%
149,000 · 121k to 177k
176,505 tests
64.6%
151,000 · 121k to 179k
184,320 tests
67.0%
155,000 · 125k to 187k
194,001 tests
65.0%
157,000 · 123k to 193k
202,861 tests
64.9%
155,000 · 119k to 193k
211,799 tests
62.2%
159,000 · 123k to 197k
22947 tests
64.3%
151,000 · 115k to 191k
23554 tests
59.9%
159,000 · 119k to 201k
24437 tests
64.3%
155,000 · 109k to 201k
25265 tests
63.8%
151,000 · 105k to 199k
Passat pass rateAll cars at that ageMiddle half of mileages

Most common MOT failures and advisories

How often each item came up, per 100 MOT tests on the Volkswagen Passat. Advisories are things the tester noted that did not fail the car, often wear that will need attention soon. Follow an item to see what it means and how serious it is.

Failures

Coil springs
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
3.6in 100 tests
Tyre tread
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
3.1in 100 tests
Tyres
A tyre cords visible or damaged
2.9in 100 tests
Suspension bushes
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
2.5in 100 tests
Suspension and drive joints
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
2.2in 100 tests
Brake pads
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
1.8in 100 tests
Warning lights
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
1.7in 100 tests
Shock absorbers
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
1.7in 100 tests

Advisories and minor defects

Brake discs
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
12.9in 100 tests
Brake pads
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
8.5in 100 tests
Shock absorbers
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
6.0in 100 tests
Engine oil leaks
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
4.3in 100 tests
Coil springs
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
4.3in 100 tests
Number plates
Number plate inscription missing or illegible
3.7in 100 tests
Windscreen
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view (minor defect)
3.6in 100 tests
Suspension and drive joints
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated (minor defect)
3.5in 100 tests

What to check on a used Passat

The parts that come up most often in Volkswagen Passat MOTs, and how to look at them on a viewing.

  1. Brake discs and pads
    Ask when the discs and pads were last replaced, and look through the wheel for a raised lip on the edge of the disc.
  2. Shock absorbers
    Push down hard on each corner: it should rise once and settle. Oil on the shock absorber body is a sign of a leak.
  3. Oil leaks
    Look under the engine and gearbox, and at the ground where the car was parked, for fresh oil.
  4. Coil springs
    Compare the gap between each tyre and its wheel arch. A corner sitting lower than the others can mean a broken spring.
  5. Number plates
    Check the plates are clean, legal and match the registration on the V5C logbook.

Check a specific Passat

Fleet averages only go so far. Enter the registration to see that car's own MOT history, mileage record and current condition, free.

UK

Questions

What is the MOT pass rate of the Volkswagen Passat?
In 2023, 75.0% of 207,331 initial MOT tests on the Volkswagen Passat ended in a pass, against 76.5% for all cars and light vans. At ages 3 to 10, with the same age mix as all cars, it was 82.4% against 82.0%.
What fails most often on a Volkswagen Passat MOT?
The most common failures were coil springs (3.6 in 100 tests), tyre tread (3.1 in 100 tests), tyres (2.9 in 100 tests).
What is a normal mileage for a 10-year-old Volkswagen Passat?
At 10 years old, the median Volkswagen Passat at its MOT had covered 119,000 miles, and the middle half had between 91,000 and 151,000 miles.
What do MOT testers most often advise on a Volkswagen Passat?
The most common advisories were brake discs (12.9 in 100 tests), brake pads (8.5 in 100 tests), shock absorbers (6.0 in 100 tests).

Other Volkswagen models

Overall MOT pass rate in 2023. Compare all Volkswagen models or see every make.

Golf77.9%Polo73.1%Transporter72.8%Tiguan84.6%Passat75.0%Caddy74.4%up!86.3%Touran71.9%Crafter72.3%T-Roc93.1%Scirocco74.3%Beetle64.1%Sharan79.0%Touareg79.3%Fox61.1%Amarok82.0%Caravelle69.2%Jetta69.7%CC77.2%Eos69.1%California84.9%LT59.9%Lupo66.3%Bora65.4%Arteon87.9%

How these figures are made. We counted every initial MOT test (not retests) of cars and light vans in Great Britain in 2023 from the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 33,842,940 tests in all. Pass rate is the share of initial tests that ended in a pass, counting faults fixed during the test. Age is whole years from first registration to the test, so a car having its first MOT a few weeks early counts as 2.

Like-for-like pass rates average each model's pass rate at ages 3 to 10 with the same age mix for every model, so a model is not flattered by a young fleet or penalised by an old one. Models are grouped by the first word of the DVSA model name, and names that cover several models are left out.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. RegTail's analysis of the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 2023 tests.